SHADOW FIVE

Gaga was eating when they came, and upon seeing her, Ivie wondered how one could get that lean within days of 'malaria'. "She's going to die," she whispered to Father Chibuike as they entered the room.

"Do you trust God?" He asked her and when she nodded he smiled. "If you trust God, then be at ease. I don't know whether or not she's going to die, but I do know that they nor dey die two times."

"Father, how can you make such a joke?" At first she was surprised, then she was intrigued. "How do you do it, turning something serious into a plaything?"

"It is to cover the shame of being defeated, we lost Biafra and learnt to be funny." He greeted Gaga's mother, then held Gaga's hands. "How do you feel?"

"How people are supposed to be feel when they are on a hospital bed," Gaga responded. "I knew you'd pick 'Esther'." She said to Ivie who then realized she still had the confirmation name on her dress.

"Oh. Gaga, how are you?" Ivie asked.

"You blame yourself that I'm here, abi? That's why you are shrinking like fowl somebody poured hot water."

Ivie cleaned her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Imagine o." Gaga gestured to her tears. "Don't you feel ashamed to cry in front of Fada Chibuike like this?"

"It's better than suppressing the emotions, although I agree about the fowl part but you're actually the one that looks like a chicken, the one whose feathers have been plucked."

"The doctors don't know what is wrong with her, we're just here, spending money and we don't even know what we are treating."

"Iye, the Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood. This fight is not about physical sickness, but our faith is in God, let us join our faith and believe in God."

While Father Chibuike talked to the older woman, Gaga drew Ivie to her side, putting the food away. "Oya, gist me, how was service today?"

"Very interesting o, I displayed my talent." Then she told her what happened, the conclusion of the Bishop and the church politics Father IK displayed. "I least expected that from him," she was saying. "What does he mean by we want an Igbo man to come and shine in our place?"

"But it's true. Will an Igbo allow another person to come and shine in their place?"

"But it's supposed to be about who has more anointing."

"So you are saying Father Chibuike has more anointing than Father IK?"

"I don't know, but I believe God will use who he wants."

"But, sha, he shouldn't have made a statement like that, especially when it was the Bishop's order"

"He even said he hoped Father Chibuike was not teaching we young girls how to take our underwear off our legs," Ivie said in a collected whisper, looking back to make sure the Father and Gaga's mother were still talking.

"Iye o!" Gaga exclaimed. "What was Father Chibuike's come back?"

"He said he did not women took their underwear off their legs and not over their heads."

Gaga threw her head back in laughter. "Typical of Father Chibuike. But Father IK really did that?"

"I kept thinking about it on my way here."

"Are you sure? Or you were thinking about a particular someone who doesn't know what direction a woman's underwear comes off." Gaga gave her a knowing look.

"Stop it."

Father Chibuike came to join them. He started singing worship songs and they rose their voice to meet his. Then he prayed, a thirty minutes intercession to God and halfway through, Ivie and Gaga opened their eyes, giggling and saying 'Amen' a little late, hoping that Father Chibuike would not go on and on, because he went on and on during prayers. They said The grace when he finished and he reminded them the importance of prayer at times like that, and Gaga feigning grogginess so he would stop.

"You were right about something," Father Chibuike told Ivie as they drove to her house. "She would die."

Ivie heart dropped to her stomach.

"But we can save her, depends on how fast we are at sending that spirit back to it's abode."

"But I thought the spirit of death was everywhere?"

"Yes, but it doesn't disturb people, it does it's job and leaves, and in this case it decided to do something else, so you're not the only one with an offense."

"It's an offense that I wanted to live? There are cases in the Bible of people who died and came back, of people who were supposed to die but God lengthen their years, of people who did not even die, why can't mine be a peculiar case like those people?"

Father Chibuike shrugged. "There is something the Bishop failed to realize. If you refuse to give your soul, this spirit will come back to the original plan and come back for your life."

Ivie slumped into the seat. "Either way, I'm dead."

"I'm just trying to let you know all there is to this, but you trust God and I trust God, and God would never let anything happen to you. I will never let anything happen to you." His eyes were on her, watching and her eyes were on him, lost. She looked away after he did, and when they got to her house, she let him lead the front. She took the keys to her room, thankful that her mother was not yet back, but her hands were trembling when she tried to insert the key.

Father Chibuike took the keys from her. "You're a strong girl, you know that? Most people in this circumstances would break." He pushed the door, opening it. It closed back with a loud bang. "Oh, what a warm welcome," he said, and pushed the door again. When the door closed for the second time, it locked.

"It knows God is here," Father Chibuike said before giving her the keys, "you, open the door."

"Father?"

"What did I say about God not allowing anything to happen to you? You have a more fiercer battle in the next coming days, open the door."

She took the keys, took a tentative step forward and opened the door. It did not close this time and she stepped in, Father Chibuike after her. Then the door closed. She was pushed backwards and Father Chibuike steadied her, his hands on her waist. It was the second time we were that close today and Ivie, not thinking, bumped her forehead against his and stayed there, her eyes close, her heart hammering against her chest, the sound so loud she felt he would hear, she wanted him to hear.

Suddenly, something yanked her arm and hauled her against the room and she met the wall. The lights in the room went off and on and off and on, and with her head hurting from the hit, she saw stars thé first time she blinked. Father Chibuike was saying something that sounded like "in the name of the father, son..."and the blinking of the light went faster, too bright for her to make out what was happening. She heard the clattering of metals, of things breaking, the door whích had began opening and closing, banging and creaking. Then the noises dulled to leave the sound of a closing door, the creaking sound that door made when they closed slowly, it stopped and started, trailed and went off. Father Chibuike was panting, he came to her and helped her to get on her feet, blood stains on his soutane, he was bleeding from his head.

"Father?"

"Shh. You hit your head really hard."

"You're bleeding," she told him and looked around the room. Everywhere was scattered; her books were open, pages flying out, the drawers open, clothes getting free from it's constraint, the table was on the bed, she hadn't realized what was happening.

"The spirit is really angry, we came for peace but was greeted with anger." He didn't talk about the wound, didn't want to talk about the wound. He held her arm and led her out of the room.

"You win today, tomorrow we–" she started to say to the shadows when Father Chibuike stopped her.

"Never challenge the devil, the battle will never end."

"But the Bible says the Lord shall fight for us."

"Same way it says we should never test the Lord. What most people don't know is that the devil is more powerful than our imagination. We already have enough of our personal matters to worry about, let's not provoke the sleeping part of the lion."

"You're bleeding,Father." She touched the sides of the wound. "It's my battle, but people are getting hurt instead of me."

"I was serious when I said I would never let anything happen to you." He took her hand from his wound and held it, blood between their fingers.